The Spider's Web
by The Grinning Cheshire
Summary: Kagome thought her life in the Feudal Era chasing jewel shards and fighting an evil spider was behind her. However, three years of submerging herself in the everyday life of a normal college student is shattered as an old enemy returns and old allies are reunited. Unfortunately, the battle to save the past is now a battle to save the future...and this time, she's the target.


**Disclaimer:** All but the plot to this particular story rightfully belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.

**Note: **Rating is currently T, but it is entirely possible that this story will earn an M rating. Any rating changes will be brought to your attention accordingly.

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**The Spider's Web**

_**Prologue**_

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Kagome stood frozen in shock as a large, chilling amount of _Jaki _("evil, demonic energy") slammed violently against her dormant energy before vanishing. The small, fine hairs on the back of her neck and along her arms remained standing as the remnants of the _Jaki_ coursed through her system and down her spine like ice water.

'What the hell was that?'

Her eyes remained wide as she took in her surroundings and spread her energy out to locate the source of the malicious energy. After five minutes of searching with no success, she pulled her energy back.

While she was hesitant to discount the experience entirely, she shook it off and continued walking up the steps toward her home, the Higurashi Shrine. She was eager to relax in a hot bath after her long day of classes at the University of Tokyo. There was only so much interest she could put into learning about the Hogen Rebellion of the Heian period before her mind drifted into painful memories.

Crossing the courtyard, she passed the _honden ("kami sanctuary") _and approached the tatami screen doors that led into her home.

"Tadaima!" (_"I'm Home"_)

She listened for a response from her mother, grandpa, or brother as she slipped out of her brown shoes and walked into the kitchen.

"I guess everyone is out," Kagome mumbled as she left the kitchen after failing to locate her mother and not hearing a response from the other occupants of the house.

Giving up, Kagome headed upstairs to the bedroom where she began to fill up the tub. Five minutes later, she let out a sigh as she slid into the warm water. As often was the case, the soothing nature of the bath caused her to remember a time when she would soak in a hot spring with Sango and Shippo after a long day of walking across Feudal Japan.

Even though it had happened three years ago, Kagome was still unable to completely understand what had gone wrong. One minute she was staring in shock from her position next to Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru and the next she was being yanked through the air across the field and forcibly thrown down the bone-eaters well into the future by an unseen force.

She had tried multiple times to return to the past, but after a year of trying with the only thing to show for it were numerous sprained ankles, she limited her attempts to twice a year with no success.

It took her a full year to recover before she began putting her life back together. She had finished high school a year before her last battle in the Fuedal Era and had finally decided to pursue higher education at the University of Tokyo after she began to realize that her portal to the past was likely never going to work again.

The only logical explanation was that something had happened when her arrow had struck the completed Shikon as it hovered over Naraku's hand. It had been a last ditch attempt to remove the Shikon from Naraku as Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru had been unable to break through Naraku's barriers and everyone else had been too occupied with their own battles against Naraku's incarnations to help.

Inuyasha had been successful in the beginning at breaking down Naraku's barriers with the _Akai Tessaiga_ (_"Red Tessaiga"_), but once Kageromaru and Juromaru, resurrected by Naraku, had succeeded in stealing the jewel shards from around her neck and subsequently completed the Shikon, even _Akai Tessaiga_ could not break through his barriers.

As the tide of the battle began to turn, Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha had launched a joint attack with Bakusaiga's Explosive Corrosion Wave and Tessaiga's _Kongoushouha_ (_"Adamant Barrage"_). The attacks had momentarily allowed a small breach in Naraku's barrier and Kagome had taken advantage by launching her final _Hama-ya_ (_"Purifying Arrow"_) at the Shikon.

All she remembered, before screaming as she was ripped away toward the bone-eaters well, was a "clink," a cry of anger from Naraku, and someone shouting her name. Obviously, Sesshoumaru and Kouga had not been fast enough to grab her before she was thrown into the well and transported to the future.

"Enough of that," Kagome whispered forcefully.

Reaching for the stopper, Kagome pulled it out and left the bathroom after drying off. She slipped in to some comfortable clothes before focusing on her string theory assignment that was due the following day in her Advanced Physics class.

As night began to fall and her family returned home, Kagome finished her assignment, ate dinner, and promptly went to bed.

Her last thought, before she fell into a deep sleep, was on the strong blast of _Jaki_ she had sensed earlier in the day that had reminded her of someone who should have died 500 years ago.

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_**To Be Continued...**_


End file.
